News

MINNEAPOLIS – Chuck Fletcher is confident he’ll hire a head coach for the Wild by the June 26 draft. In the two weeks since he was introduced as Minnesota’s new general manager, Fletcher has been more focused on other matters

DETROIT – After starting the Stanley Cup final with a pair of 3-1 wins at home, it was all about the Detroit Red Wings’ mystique and how they find ways to win even when outplayed

CALGARY – Jim Playfair has been named head coach of Calgary’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Flames announced Friday.Playfair was the Flames’ head coach in 2006-07, and had served as an associate coach in Calgary for the past two seasons

TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs cut ties with Greg Gilbert on Friday, ending his three-year tenure as head coach of the team’s American Hockey League affiliate

TORONTO – A new Toronto-based group has come forward with a proposal to launch a second NHL franchise in Toronto in time for the 2012-13 season

The 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver promise to be a ‘monster’ event, so it’s only appropriate that North American broadcasters have the analyst who made the phrase popular right down at ice level

Scoring summary from Thursday’s NHL playoff game:Red Wings 2 at Penguins 4First Period1. Pittsburgh, Malkin 14 (Letang, Staal) 2:39 (pp)2. Detroit, Helm 4, 18:19Penalties – Kronwall Det (tripping) 1:12, Eaton Pgh (cross-checking) 11:09, Ericsson Det (high-sticking) 16:27, Guerin Pgh (high-sticking) 16:37

PITTSBURGH – Special teams were the difference as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 Thursday night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals, evening the championship rematch

PITTSBURGH – A rare short-handed goal crippled the Detroit Red Wings in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final, then a slew of turnovers and defensive gaffes finished them off

PITTSBURGH – A report card on Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final on Thursday between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins:FORWARDSRed Wings, D: They threw a lot of pucks at Marc-Andre Fleury, but few that were dangerous, and gave it away too often

Movements in the world of hockey Thursday:National Hockey LeagueATLANTA THRASHERS-Re-signed D Anssi Salmela to a multi-year contract.COLORADO AVALANCHE-Named Joe Sacco coach

PITTSBURGH – The Big Three refused to let the Pittsburgh Penguins fall into another big hole.Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal put the Penguins on their backs Thursday and carried them to a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings that completely changed the complexion of this Stanley Cup final

The first big decisions are coming for Steve Yzerman. And they won’t be easy.Simply identifying the 45 or so players who will attend the summer orientation camp will be tough for the Team Canada boss

BOSTON – Boston Bruins forward David Krejci underwent successful hip surgery in New York on Thursday, the team said.Krejci will need four to six months to recover

PITTSBURGH – It hasn’t been easy for Kris Draper to sit in the seats while his Detroit Red Wings battle for the Stanley Cup, but the veteran forward has tried to make the best of it

DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche hired Joe Sacco of the AHL as their coach on Thursday, a day after firing Tony Granato and shaking up their front office

PITTSBURGH – Pavel Datsyuk’s return to the Detroit Red Wings lineup for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final remains in doubt.Datsyuk stayed on the ice with the so-called black aces – the players who don’t dress for the game – after the team’s skate on Thursday morning and then stayed on another 15 minutes after they left

Movements in the world of hockey Wednesday:National Hockey LeagueCOLORADO AVALANCHE-Fired coach Tony Granato, assistant coaches Jacques Cloutier and Dave Barr, goaltending coach Jeff Hackett, assistant to the general manager Michel Goulet and video coordinator P

BOSTON – Boston Bruins forward David Krejci will have a little something to make him feel better when he goes in for surgery Thursday: A three-year contract worth more than US$11 million

PITTSBURGH – If fatigue was a factor in the Detroit Red Wings’ loss in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final, relief appears to be on the way.Coach Mike Babcock confirmed on Wednesday that veteran centre Kris Draper will be back in the lineup and there’s a strong possibility that Hart Trophy candidate Pavel Datsyuk is ready to return after missing five games with a foot injury